Action Points

This study was published as an abstract and will be presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Common blood pressure medications seemed to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study in older Japanese-American men.

Point out that although beta-blockers alone were superior to other forms of treatment, any drug treatment was better for dementia- and Alzheimer's-related damage than no drug treatment.

SAN DIEGO -- Beta-blockers seemed to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study in older Japanese-American men.

Autopsies on 774 men showed that those who had taken beta-blockers for hypertension had significantly fewer microinfarctions, less brain atrophy, and fewer Alzheimer's lesions in the brain than those who had been treated with other medications, according to Lon White, MD, of the Pacific Health Research and Education Institute in Honolulu, and colleagues.

Although beta-blockers alone were superior to other forms of treatment, any drug treatment was better for dementia- and Alzheimer's-related damage than no drug treatment, according to an abstract of a study that will be reported at the American Academy of Neurology meeting.

The researchers noted that a systolic blood pressure >120 mm Hg in midlife predicted the population attributable risk of dementia in 17% to 27% of cases.

The study looked at the relationship between brain lesions at autopsy with beta-blocker treatment compared with other antihypertensive drugs.

The participants, ages 71 to 93, were enrolled in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study from 1991 to 2012. Of the 774, 610 had been hypertensive or treated with antihypertensive drugs.

Among those receiving treatment, 15% received only a beta-blocker, 18% received a beta-blocker and one or more other medications, and the remaining 67% received other blood pressure medications.

However, the relationship may not be causal, noted Mary Sano, PhD, of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
"I think we have to recognize that it’s possible that people who needed only one drug -- the beta-blockers -- may have had less disease to begin with," said Sano, who was not involved in the study. "They may look like they’re better not because of the drug, but because of a less severe underlying condition."

"I think that the important take-away message is to put together the best treatment for the condition at hand," she added.

MedPageToday is a trusted and reliable source for clinical and policy coverage that directly affects the lives and practices of health care professionals.

Physicians and other healthcare professionals may also receive Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Education (CE) credits at no cost for participating in MedPage Today-hosted educational activities.